Adam Heggenstaller has just posted the first concrete detail of the consumer Bushmaster / Remington / Magpul ACR ...
The cool thing here--other than it being a brand-spanking new gun that you can get your hands on real soon--is the ACR's modularity. The consumer version will be offered with a 16.5-inch barrel, but Bushmaster will also be making barrels with lengths of 10.5, 14.5 and 18 inches. The first version of the ACR will be chambered in 5.56x45 mm, of course, but since a tool-less disassembly allows you to change bolt heads, barrels and magazines, the ACR can be user-configured to run with other cartridges as well. Ongoing development will focus on the 6.8 mm Rem. SPC, 7.62x39 mm, a yet-to-be-disclosed 6.5 mm round and, get this, the .30 Rem. AR.
Read more about, and for photos, click on over to Incoming Blog.
Each year, around this time, Remington holds their new product seminar. Fellow blogger Murdoc confirmed that this year is no exception and that it will be held later this week.
Don't quote this as fact, but I think there is a good chance we will finally see the launch of the civilian Remington / Bushmaster / Magpul ACR at this seminar.
And my final reason for thinking it will be unveiled this week is that a semi-automatic version of the ACR is already in the hands of a civilian. At the recent AAC Silencer Shoot, AAC (now owned by Remington) auctioned off an ACR. The proceeds went to the Wounded Warrior Project.
In a few days we shall see if I was right ... or not.
Many thanks to Jay for emailing me the video link.
The specifications of the Remington ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) have finally been published. Bushmaster and Magpul are both still very much involved in the development of the rifle although I can see very little that has changed since the original Magpul Masada was unveiled.
Original Magpul Masada. Original handguard is not mentioned on Remington’s website.
Remington ACR.
The ACR is made up of an aluminum upper receiver and lower polymer receiver.
The lower receiver resembles the AR-15 and SCAR lower receivers. Like the polymer AR-15 lower receivers made by Calvary Arms, the ACR’s pistol grip is part of the mould and cannot be removed. The trigger group has a two stage trigger that has a pull weight of 6.25 lbs. The trigger group parts are compatible with the AR-15 / M16. Modes of operation are semi-automatic or fully automatic. All the controls are all ambidextrous.
The operating system was inspired by the AR-18. It uses a short stroke piston system – meaning the piston slams into the bolt carrier knocking is back and cycling the action. The AR-18 bolt carrier design has been improved, at least in my opinion, although it would be more costly to manufacture than the AR-18. The AR-18 has twin guide rods and twin recoil springs, see the photo below. The ACR has a recoil spring that inserts into the bolt carrier and is guided by steel rails that are attached to the receiver.
The bolt is in the AR-15 style with 8 lugs, one of which is an extractor. The bolt can be easily swapped out and a 6.8 mm SPC or 6.5mm Grendel bolt swapped in.
AR-180 (semi-auto version of the AR-18). Photo from carteach0’s blog.
ACR bolt carrier.
Steel guide rails indicated by arrow.
The rate of fire is 650-700 RPM. This is slightly higher than the SCAR which features a larger/heavier bolt carrier.
The side mounted charging handle does not reciprocate, unlike the SCAR, but can engage the bolt carrier and used as a forward assist.
Barrels offered will 10.5”, 14.5”, 16.5” and 18” in length and can be changed by the operator without tools. Magpul originally touted compatibility with standard M16 barrels, although Remington does not mention this on their website.
Two stocks will be offered: a foldable / adjustable stock and a fixed stock.
The 14.5″ carbine version of the ACR weights 7 lbs (unloaded)
Sean forwarded me an email he received from the Customer Service Manager at Magpul.
The Magpul Masada design has been licensed to Bushmaster Firearms and they are handling production and distribution. It’s been renamed the ACR and was officially scheduled for release in the first Quarter of 2009. However, Bushmaster/Remington plans on offering up the ACR for the M4 replacement solicitation. This is necessitating some possible small design changes (barrel life requirements, rail markings, position of full-auto safety, etc.) to meet certain mil-specs along with much more scrutiny in the testing process. Unfortunately this will most likely delay the release an undetermined amount of time but we are hoping it will be unveiled sometime late this year with a retail of around $1500.
Many dates have been given out in the past for the launch of the Magpul / Bushmaster / Remington ACR so don’t pin your hopes on having a ACR under the Christmas tree! The price seems reasonable.
Murdoc spotted a video where a Remington VC referred to the ACR, formerly Magpul Masada, as the Remington ACR. It looks like the rifle, or at least the marketing, has been transfered from Bushmaster to the military devision of their sister company Remington.
I found this Remington promotion material online.
Click to expand.
It says that the rifle will be available in 5.56mm NATO, 6.8mm SPC and 6.5mm Grendel.
There is no indication that Remington will be offering civilian sales.
Travis of Magpul put together a very cool AK/Saiga. Click to expand the photos:
Two charging handles. Handles from Bushmaster ACR/Masada
-It is a Saiga cut to 12″ and threaded 1/2 28 right in front of the Russian threads and SBRed with a AAC M42000
-The charging system is something I came up with about 2 years ago before all the other ones you see out there. As you can see from the left side the dust cover is not as open. Yes those are ACR charging handles that I cut and welded on to the carrier.
They do reciprocate which it seems some people have a problem with… why I haven’t a clue… its an AK?!
-Extended custom trigger finger Mag release and Safety
-Ace MIAD grip adapter
-CTR with cheek riser.
-Ultimak scout and lower rail (I welded the locking tabs in for a tighter fit.)
-Aimpoint T-1
-I drilled and tapped the Pig nose adaptor for a sling stud for the MS2 Sling.
-As for the Ranger plates I just took PMAG plates and mashed them on and modified the tab to fit. they will stay on even you don’t mod the tab.
Since this is a one of a kind AK we have deemed it the MAG-K
Very nice. Travis made this clear it is a once off project not a production rifle.
Don’t expect to get your hands on the Bushmaster ACR anytime soon. Bushmaster and Magpul issued this joint statement a few days ago:
“The ACR is being redesigned to be a superior offering to compete for the next generation US Army infantry carbine and subcompact weapon requirement and will be available to select customers in 2009.”
This is the third delay. The ACR was originally promised to be on sale late 2008, it was then delayed again until Q1 2009. It now looks like that unless you know someone at Bushmaster or Magpul you will not get your hands on one for quite a while.
As “hga” said, with the possibly of the AWB 2.0 I imagine both Bushmaster and Magpul are trying to maximize short term production for existing products until demand slows down. This does make financial sense. The cost of improving the ACR with the aim of winning a US Army contract will be minimal compared to the cost of decreasing production on AR-15s and tooling up to produce the ACR, not to mention the opportunity cost of not producing AR-15s which are currently selling like, well, they are about to get banned. I also expect Bushmaster and other AR-15 producers are stockpiling AR-15 lower receivers so that in the event of a ban they will be able to sell high priced pre-ban rifles.
Thanks to “hga” for alerting me to the statement.
The Magpul Masada before it became the Bushmaster ACR .
S&W have announced the M&P15R, an AR-15 chambered for the 5.45×39mm. The idea being you can save costs by shooting the cheaper round instead of 5.56mm.
The product spec sheet says the launch date was “May 1, 2008″, yet the website says coming soon.
M&P15R. No surprises if you have seen an AR before
It will also be available as a complete upper.
It ships with one 30 round 5.45×39mm magazine.
Specs:
Model: M&P15R
Caliber: 5.45 x 39 mm Capacity: 30 Rounds Action: Semi-Auto Barrel Length: 16” Barrel Twist: 1 in 8” Front Sight: M4 Post Overall Length: 35” Extended ,32” Collapsed Stock: 6-Position Collapsible Weight: 6.5 lbs. Barrel Material: 4140 Steel Receiver Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum Finish: Hard Coat Black Anodized
Chromed Comp: Barrel Bore, Gas Key
Bolt Carrier, Chamber
Another photo:
When I interviewed Magpul they were planning on releasing a 5.45×39mm conversion kit for the Masada so that trips to the range would cost less. I wonder if Bushmaster is going to follow through with this with the ACR.
This gorgeous beast won’t be ready for some months yet according to Skip Patel, Bushmaster’s executive vice president for research and development. Among other thing, Skip told me, was the need to trim some weight from the rifle, which tips the scales at about 15 pound right now.
Not surprising since Bushmaster acquired Cobb Mfg. last year but still cool.
This is big news. Bushmaster have licensed the Magpul Masada! It will be mostly the same but with additional features such as firing pin block and ambidextrous charging handle.
Okay guys, first things first – just to clear this up, the Bushmaster ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) is the final production version of the Masada prototype that we debuted at SHOT Show last year. Like the press release says, we’ve spent the last 12 months refining and re-designing the Masada, but I will not be posting any updates yet. The ACR will officially be unveiled at SHOT Show starting on Saturday, so do us a favor and have patience until then. If you happen to be in Vegas, swing by the Magpul and Bushmaster booths – there will be plenty of ACRs to play with. Photos welcome – just ask before you snap. Post ‘em if you got ‘em.
Next, I need to address some of the things I’ve been reading on the forums lately. From the get go, the idea behind the Masada was go big or go bust, no middle ground. We’re going big. We designed the best rifle we could with the ultimate goal of putting it in civilian, law enforcement, and military hands. Licensing the design to a well-established American firearms manufacturer offered the best opportunity to achieve these original goals. Enter Bushmaster and the ACR.
We’ve spent a lot of time with the Bushmaster guys over the last few months. I have personally been impressed with them. Down to earth and and down to business, very stand up. We jived right off the bat. The tolerances and specs Magpul laid out for the original Masada were tight, and the Bushmaster guys didn’t blink. Both sides of the table have kept open minds about the project, and Bushmaster will be building the ACR to the same quality and material standards as the original Magpul concept. The lines of communication on the ACR remain open between Bushmaster and Magpul.
As far as Magpul’s direct involvement goes, we’ll be designing and manufacturing all polymer ACR parts including, but not limited to, handguards, lowers, and stocks. The bottom line: you get high-end Magpul kit straight from the factory on your Bushmaster ACR.
A couple of things in closing – for those of you who are wondering, Magpul is still an independently owned and operated company. We will also continue to expand our product line. In the following days at SHOT we plan to release several new products. These are fast and exciting times for those in our industry.
I think think was a brilliant move by Magpul. There was speculation about how Magpul would fare producing large quantities of Masadas if they became popular.
The Bushmaster ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) will initially be offered in 5.56 NATO, available for law enforcement and civilian purchase second quarter 2008. This release will be followed by military ACR versions in the 3rd quarter of 2008.
Windham, ME – Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC (BFI) announced today that it has signed an exclusive license deal with Magpul Industries Corp. for the production, future development, and sales of Magpul’s prototype MASADA weapon system.
The Bushmaster ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) will initially be offered in 5.56 NATO, available for law enforcement and civilian purchase second quarter 2008. This release will be followed by military ACR versions in the 3rd quarter of 2008.
“The opportunity to partner with such an innovative company as Magpul, is a very exciting step in the growth and evolution of Bushmaster’s product line.” said Chad Brooks, CEO of Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC.
Without government funding or outside influence of any kind, the Masada concept was developed from scratch in Boulder, Colorado by Magpul’s Design Group. The initial Masada concept was first shown publicly at the 2007 Shot Show and its success prompted Magpul to spend a year redesigning the system for production.
Richard Fitzpatrick, CEO Magpul, said, “As the design progressed, we began to realize we needed to find a partner who shared our vision, and could drive production at a suitable volume without sacrificing quality. We entertained a number of ideas and offers, but in the end, a partnership with Bushmaster was the logical choice. Their production capabilities, distribution network, and brand name were the best match for our goal of getting this rifle into civilian, law enforcement, and military hands.”
The result is the ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) which keeps the fundamentals of the Masada concept with added advanced features such as firing pin block and true ambidextrous charging handle.
The ACR will be available for hands on viewing in the Bushmaster and Magpul booths in the Law Enforcement section at SHOT Show 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the ACR’s key features are a gas piston operating system, tool-less quick change barrel, multi-adjustable folding stock with integrated storage, and backward compatibility with a number of AR15/M16 parts. Due to similar operating controls, user transition from the M16 series of weapons is easily facilitated with minimal re-training.
The Bushmaster ACR will initially be available in 3 SKUS: Standard Carbine with fixed stock, Entry Carbine with folding stock, and Special Purpose Rifle with Precision Rifle Stock. Live fire demonstration and test and evaluations beginning in the end of March to qualified law enforcement and federal government agencies.
I came across an M4 comparison chart. Its compares the Colt 6920, LMT, Noveske M4 Light Carbine, Sabre Defense XR15-A3 M4, S&W M&P15 CMMG 16″ M4 Carbine, Stag Model 1, Bushmaster BCWA3F 16M, Rock Rivers Arms AR1251X, Armalite M-15A4C, Olympic K3B-M4-A3 and DPMS AP4-C.
I have been getting quite a lot of visits from people searching google for M16 / M4 / AR-15 manuals. So I decided to post some of them. US Army M16 / M4 operators manual
This covers Disassembly, Cleaning, Reassembly, Magazine, Operation and Ammunition and more.
Hi, welcome to my gun blog! This blog is dedicated to all things firearms related. If you are into AR-15 and AK rifles, skeet shotguns, self defense pistols or hunting arms there will be something here for you. I hope you enjoy it.
I want this blog to appeal to a worldwide audience and so I will be focusing on firearms and shooting rather than country specific politics. There are already many great blogs defending your rights!
Hi, welcome to my gun blog! This blog is dedicated to all things firearms related. If you are into AR-15 and AK rifles, skeet shotguns, self defense pistols or hunting arms there will be something here for you. I hope you enjoy it.